Attachment clip or support for a garment

ABSTRACT

A device for attachment together of first and second garments is disclosed. The device comprises a retaining portion for receiving the first garment, and fixing attachment means thereto, the attachment means comprising a pair of opposing contact regions biased towards mutual contact, which contact regions are configured to grip opposing surfaces of the second garment to attach the attachment means thereto.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to attachment of a garment, for example, a belt, to another garment, for example a pair of trousers or a skirt.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The conventional manner of attachment of a belt to a garment, such as a pair of trousers or skirt, is to thread the belt through belt loops sewn to the pair of trousers and fasten the belt to itself. The retention of the belt within the loops then prevents the trousers from falling, by the belt being secured at a smaller circumference than that of the hips of the person wearing the garment.

However, such belt loops are unsightly when a belt is not worn with the garment. Further, the loops may not be of the correct size to accept some belts, for example, where the belt is particularly wide, or very narrow. Therefore, belts often must be worn, even though there is no need for the belt to hold up the garment on the wearer. Conversely, where no belt loops are provided, the size of the garment must be correct, or the garment will not stay up on the wearer. In such a case, a belt cannot be worn as it cannot be attached to the garment to keep the garment up.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present invention provides a means of attachment of one garment, such as a belt, to another garment, such as a pair of trousers, or skirt.

In an aspect of the invention, the means includes two opposing contact regions, biased towards mutual contact, configured to grip a garment therebetween. In an aspect of the present invention, a clip is provided, to achieve this.

The clip may be in the form of two substantially parallel substantially-parallel members, at least a portion of each of which is biased into contact with the other by a resilient join between the two at a common edge or join of the members. These first and second members may be plates. The members can be placed over a waistband of a garment, such as a pair of trousers, with another garment, such as a belt also between the members. The biasing of the two members into contact with one another provides two opposing contact regions, and causes the two garments to be held together by the contact regions, for example, a belt to be held to the waistband of a pair of trousers, in order to hold the trousers in the correct position around the waist of a wearer. In an aspect the first member includes a hook portion distal to the join between the members. The hook portion is formed of a bend, in-turned towards the second member until the in-turned portion extends substantially parallel to the first member, with a gap between the first member and the hook portion. The distance between the join and the in-turn of the hook portion may be varied as required. In use, a belt is placed within the clip, and is retained in the clip by the hook portion, the gap of which receives and retains the belt in place, and forms a retaining portion or region. The side of the hook portion towards the second member and the second member itself thus provide opposing contact regions. The trousers are then placed between the contact regions and the two garments are thus held together.

In a further aspect of the invention, the hook portion may be extended. In such an embodiment, the hook portion may extend substantially parallel from the first member from which it depends, and its free end may be in-turned a second time, back towards the first member. The second in-turn may provide a projection, which is directed towards the gap formed by the hook portion and the first member, and which forms a more enclosed retaining region as compared with the retaining portion of other aspects of the invention, the retaining portion being closed by the projection, the hook portion and the first member. In this way, a belt, placed inside the retaining portion between the hook portion and the first member cannot move up or down relative to the clip. The side of the hook portion towards the second member, and the second member together still provide opposing contact regions. Further, a further extending portion may be provided extending away from the hook portion and the first member, substantially parallel with the second member. The extending portion and a region of the second member distal most to the join may then be biased into contact with one another to provide the opposing contact regions.

In a further aspect of the invention a belt and attachment means are provided for attachment of the belt to a garment, such as a pair of trousers or a skirt. The clip may be as described in other aspects of the invention. The belt comprises a material, such as ribbon, which may be interwoven with the belt on a surface thereof configured to be positioned towards the body of a wearer of the belt. The ends of the material are fixed to the belt. The material is interwoven into the belt so that the material passes alternately inside and outside the inner surface of the belt, preferably at regular intervals. Alternatively, the material may be stitched, glued or otherwise connected to the inner side of the belt. In the regions where the material is not directly attached to, or woven through, the material of the belt, a gap may be formed between the material and the belt, through which the clip can be passed, while the material is securely attached to the belt overall. In other words, the material may be threaded through portions of the interior side of the belt, leaving portions of the material outside the belt, forming a plurality of longitudinal ‘loops’ formed by the material and the belt, through which the clip may be passed transverse to the loop and attached to the material.

The clip may be dimensioned so that the retaining portion discussed above is of similar size to the width and thickness of the material, so that the material is held securely relative to the clip. A garment may then be placed between the members of the clip, and the belt is thus attached to the garment and the garment is held in position by the belt. Such a clip and belt allow the clip to be concealed behind the belt, which may be desirable for both an aesthetic point of view and also prevents the clip from catching on, for example, other items of clothing. Further, the clip is not be pulled off the belt by being caught on something external to the belt and deformed or pulled off the garment. Further still, the clip does not contact the outer, decorative, surface of the belt. This avoids any possibility of the clip damaging the outer surface of the belt. The belt can then also be worn with other garments having belt loops without problem. Further, belts that are too large to pass through belt loops can be used with the clip.

Further, in aspects of the invention, the two sides of the clip each include a contact region which contacts the garment (one the outer and the other the inner side of the garment), rather than one contact region contacting the belt, and the other contacting the garment, with the belt and garment in direct contact. This improves the reliability of the clip because the belt and garment are not in contact and so cannot move relative to one another at that direct contact point. The clip therefore has only to stay attached to the garment, with opposing contact regions.

In aspects of the invention, first and second members are provided, which are joinable by an extending portion on one of the members interacting with the second member directly, or with a receiving part on the second member. The receiving part may be a internally recess or hollow cylinder, to receive the extending portion. The extending portion may be a pin. The extending portion may be threaded to engage with a complementary thread on the receiving part. The garments may be a pair of trousers or a skirt and a belt. One or both of the outer surfaces of the members (which may be circular) may have an adornment attached thereto or decoration applied thereto or placed thereon. Alternatively, the outer surfaces may consist of a design and may be shaped accordingly. One surface may be adapted to be worn directly against the skin, so that it is comfortable, while the other surface is decorated, for example to have eye, or fashion, appeal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, purely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section of a clip according to an embodiment of the invention

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of a clip according to a further embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a portion of a belt for use in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 or 2; and

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b show a stud according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a support according to an embodiment of the invention, including a clip 100. The clip 100 includes two substantially parallel members, in the present embodiment in the form of plates 110, 120, which depend from a common join 130, which biases the plates 110, 120 towards contact with one another.

The first plate 110 includes a hook portion 140 at the edge distal to the join 130 between the plates. The hook portion is formed of a bend 142, in-turned towards the second plate 120 until an in-turned portion 144 extends substantially parallel to the first plate 110, with a gap between the first plate 110 and the in-turned portion 144.

In use, a belt 150 is placed within the clip 100, and is retained in the clip 100 by the hook portion 140, the gap of which receives and retains the belt 150 in place, and forms a retaining portion 146. The side of the hook portion 140 facing towards the second plate 120 and the second plate 120 itself thus provide opposing contact regions 160, 170. A garment 180, such as a pair of trousers, is then placed between the contact regions 160, 170 and the belt is thus attached to the garment.

FIG. 1 shows a support for attachment of first and second garments 150, 180 together, comprising a retaining portion 146 for receiving the first garment 150 and fixing attachment means thereto, the attachment means comprising a pair of opposing contact regions 160, 170 biased towards mutual contact, which contact regions are configured to grip opposing surfaces of the second garment 180 to attach the attachment means thereto.

FIG. 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the invention. In this alternative embodiment of the invention, two substantially parallel members in the form of plates 210, 220 are connected by a common join 230, as in the previous embodiment. However, in this embodiment, the in-turned hook portion 240 extends substantially parallel to the first plate 210, and its free end is in-turned a second time, back towards the first plate. The second in-turn provides a projection 248, which is directed towards the gap formed by the hook portion 240 between the hook portion 240 and the first plate 210, and which forms a more enclosed retaining portion 246 as compared with the retaining portion of the first embodiment of the invention, the retaining portion 246 being closed by the projection 248, the hook portion 240 and the first plate 210.

An extending portion 290 is provided extending away from the hook portion 240 and the first plate 210, substantially parallel with the second plate 220. The extending portion 290 and the hook portion 240, and a region of the second plate 220 are biased towards contact with one another to provide two opposing contact regions 260, 270, which together are configured to grip a garment 280 placed therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 3, a belt 250 may be provided, which comprises a plurality of loops 255 spaced longitudinally along the belt on a surface thereof configured to be positioned towards the body of a wearer of the belt 250. In the present embodiment, the loops are formed from a length of material interwoven with the belt 250. The ends of the material 255 are fixed to the belt 250. The material is interwoven into the belt 250 so that the material passes alternately inside and outside the inner surface of the belt 250, preferably at regular intervals, forming the loops 255. Alternatively, the loops 255 may be stitched, glued or otherwise connected to the inner side of the belt 250. In the regions where the loops 255 are not directly attached to, or woven through, the belt 250, a gap is formed between the material and the belt 250, through which the clip can be passed, while the material of the loops 255 is securely attached to the belt 250 overall, as shown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the retaining portion 246 is sized to receive the piece of material 255 attached to the belt 250, rather than the belt 250 itself. Alternatively, the retaining portion 246 may be sized to retain the belt itself 250, as in the first embodiment.

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b show a stud 400 according to a further embodiment of the invention. The stud 400 comprises first 410 and second 420 separable members, which may be substantially planar in a side view and which may be circular in an end view. An elongate pin 430 extends from the first member 410. The pin 430 has a threaded portion 450, which may be in a region distal from the first member 410. The second member 420 has a hollow cylinder 440 extending away from the second member. The hollow cylinder 440 includes a thread on the inside thereof, which is complementary to the thread on the pin 430.

In use, the pin is passed through to garments or articles of clothing, which are to be held together. One, either, or none of the articles of clothing may have an appropriate orifice, through which the pin 430 may pass. In this case, the orifices are generally smaller than the first and second members 410, 430. Alternatively, the pin may pierce one or both of the garments to create a hole through which the pin passes. The cylinder 440 of second member 420 is then screwed onto the threaded portion 450 of the pin 430 of the first member 410, which retains the first and second members together. As the pin 430 has passed through the garments, they are retained together, and in relative position, by the first and second members 410, 420.

The present invention has been described purely by way of example, and various modifications, additions and omissions may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. 

1. A support for a garment, comprising: a belt; and at least one clip for attaching the belt to the garment; wherein the belt comprises a plurality of loops spaced longitudinally along a surface of the belt configured to be placed towards the body of a wearer, and the clip comprises a retaining portion for engaging with and retaining the belt, and a pair of opposing contact regions biased towards mutual contact for attaching the belt to the garment.
 2. A support according to claim 1, wherein the opposing contact regions of the clip are configured to contact the inner and outer sides of the garment respectively to hold the belt to the garment.
 3. A support according to claim 1, wherein the loops are arranged on said surface of the belt longitudinally.
 4. A support according to claim 2, wherein the loops are arranged on said surface of the belt longitudinally.
 5. A support according to claim 1, wherein the retaining portion is adapted to engage with one of said plurality of loops between the belt and the loop and between the clip and the garment.
 6. A support according to claim 2, wherein the retaining portion is adapted to engage with one of said plurality of loops between the belt and the loop and between the clip and the garment.
 7. A support according to claim 3, wherein the retaining portion is adapted to engage with one of said plurality of loops between the belt and the loop and between the clip and the garment.
 8. A support according to claim 4, wherein the retaining portion is adapted to engage with one of said plurality of loops between the belt and the loop and between the clip and the garment.
 9. A support according to any of claim 1 wherein the clip comprises first and second members substantially parallel for a least a portion of their extent, depending from a resilient join portion therebetween, which biases at least a portion of each member towards mutual contact.
 10. A support according to claim 9, wherein the clip comprises a hook portion extending at least partially from the first member towards the join potion, the hook portion being provided on the side of the first member proximate to the second member and substantially parallel with the second member, wherein the hook portion provides one of said two opposing contact regions and the second member provides the other contact region, the region between the hook portion and the first member providing the retaining portion.
 11. A support to attach together first and second garments, comprising a retaining portion configured to receive and retain the first garment, and attachment means fixed thereto, the attachment means comprising a pair of opposing contact regions biased towards mutual contact, which contact regions are configured to grip opposing surfaces of the second garment to attach the attachment means thereto.
 12. A support according to claim 11, wherein the attachment means comprises a clip, and wherein the clip comprises substantially parallel first and second members depending from a resilient join portion therebetween, which biases at least a portion of each member towards mutual contact.
 13. A support according to claim 12, wherein the clip comprises a hook portion extending at least partially from the first member towards the join potion, the hook portion being provided on the side of the first member proximate to the second member and substantially parallel with the second member, wherein the hook portion provides one of said two opposing contact regions and the second member provides the other contact region, the region between the hook portion and the first member providing the retaining portion.
 14. A support according to claim 13, further comprising a projection from the hook member, extending away from the join portion, between the first member and hook portion, the projection being substantially parallel with the first member, and together with the hook portion and first member, defining the retaining portion.
 15. A support according to claim 11, wherein the first garment is a belt.
 16. A support according to claim 15, further including the belt. 